Yesterday was a day of a certain amount of achievement.

To begin with, it turned out, despite the forecast, to be a grand day for setting one’s chilli plants out on the doorstep. My husband didn't get dressed, again, but definitely seems better. Maybe today. And two tasks which had been looming over me, resolved themselves with the morning post.

I knew I had to book the car in for its annual health check, if I was to be allowed to keep it on the road after the end of the month. The mail brought the formal letter from the Ministry of Transport, saying just that – so it is booked in for Monday.

And it also brought a letter from Barclays Bank about a savings account – I can’t remember how we acquired it. The interest has long been ludicrous even by today’s standards, and I have long intended to do something about it. Yesterday Barclays wrote to say that they were going to close the account and put the money somewhere safe (presumably earning no interest at all) since I didn’t seem to be interested. I stomped along George Street in the heat and closed the account. That’ll larn 'em.

Knitting

Fuzzarelly, you have plunged me back into Epaminondas mode. I must and will have eyelet increases on the current socks! – especially since I am knitting top-down. As far as I can figure out, a Fleegle-Strong heel can be knit in either direction in exactly the same way. But eyelets would be wasted on a toe-up sock.

Relax2 continues well. Tomorrow morning’s measuring should see us somewhere very near the end. I got that third skein wound, although not yet attached. That should happen today. And in the course of rustling around in the stash to find it, discovered that, as I thought, there’s plenty of madelinetosh sock for a Daybreak shawl.

And I also learned yesterday that Stephen West has done a Craftsy class on shawl-making. I’m very tempted. I’m getting more than a bit like Silas Marner, when it comes to Craftsy. I’ve signed up for the one on button bands and buttonholes, and also for Alasdair Post-Quinn on double knitting. I have still to finish Herzog on fit and Franklin on lace edgings, in Franklin’s case because I have a bit of undone homework.

(It has long seemed appropriate to me that our grandson Alistair, in Beijing, should be the son of a Catherine – are there any other two names which allow such a variety of spellings?)

I have had to make several trips to the top of the hill lately, including yesterday’s one. I always call in at John Lewis’ yarn dept, and lately always look for Rowan Art Yarn. It’s everywhere on the internet, but I haven’t spotted it yet.